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Question about the hike from the Owl's Head parking lot to the "summit" where Kettle Pond can be imaged. Is that a reasonably easy hike? My wife and I will be 67 by October and are in reasonable shape for our age. We both do a lot of walking. Should we be able to handle the hike? I've heard it is a 15-minute hike and I've also heard 30 minutes. Assuming we do this, how long should it take us?

The view of Kettle Pond is due south so this can be a good morning or evening shot. The problem here is that there is a gate at the entrance and it opens late and closes early. I went there for an early morning shot and found the gate closed and locked. I think the sign said it would open at 8:00. I went on to other things and came back about 8:30 and it was still closed.

For an early morning shot, consider Ricker Pond. It is just off Hwy 232 along the way from Groton towards Owl's Head. I've been there for early morning fog. There is a little dam at the south end of the pond and a nice stream flowing from there. If there is fog on the pond, there will be steam rising from the stream. Temperatures in the upper 20s or low 30s should guarantee fog on the pond and steam rising from the stream. I froze my fingers making this photo, but it turned out pretty well.

Hi Tim: As Al notes, the locked gate is the issue. Inside the gate there is a gravel drive, all uphill. Cannot remember the distance, but maybe about a mile? I have considered parking outside the gate and hiking up to the trailhead, but haven't been there to do it. I would think it would be all of an hour going up because of the uphill climb. My eBook has the info in it and some shots of Kettle and of Ricker. Ricker is a nice little spot and very easy to get to.Here are a couple Kettle Pond shots from up on Owl's Head. They were taken in mid-late afternoon on a sunny day:

Tim, Lanesboro Road is the road to Owl's head. I don't know that it is marked though. You will see a gate near the Highway 232 that marks the road up there. I've been there several times and have had no problem finding it. Just keep in mind that the gate is closed at night and it may not be open in the morning when the sign says it should be.

Although Google maps has it labelled as Lanesboro Rd, technically, Lanesboro road is on the opposite side of route 232 from the road to Owl's Head. However the road sign is helpful in identifying the Owls Head access road. If you are approaching from the north make sure you turn left and go uphill. If you are approaching from the south, turn right. If you make the turn and discover you are going downhill, you turned the wrong direction .

The access road is about .85 miles long and climbs about 350' in elevation. The hike is short (approx 1/4 mile) and covers about 135 vertical feet. If you are able to climb stairs, you should be okay.

If you plan to go here at sunset, there is a sign at the gate at the bottom of the road the that says "Gate closes at Sunset". However, they don't close it immediately at sunset. You have about a half hour after the sun goes down. They really close it at "dark". After the sun sets take in the last few rays and snap the last set of pictures and then head back to the car. You may want to bring a flashlight or head lamp since it does get dark in the woods a lot faster than at the open observation point.

Here are a few pictures from the sunset at Owl's Head this past Sunday.